Issue 9 for Saskatchewan’s own superhero, Auroraman, is out for purchase and it brings in some new and exciting elements to the fold. In addition to a new villain with amazing powers, it also introduces a new writer to the team. Creator and author Jeff Burton’s daughter Kyrra has penned her first story for the now well-established Saskatchewan crime fighter. 

The new villain is Kyrra’s own creation. When she approached her Dad about the idea, little did she realize she would soon enter the world of comic writing. 

“I didn’t think writing an Auroraman was an option until I brought the idea to Dad and he said I should write it,” said Kyrra. 

Jeff encouraged her to evolve the character in terms of costume and motivation for the storyline. That process eventually led to Kyrra’s scripting the episode. Jeff confesses that one of the hardest parts for him was to distance himself from her process for a title character that Jeff has largely steered by himself over the years. 

“It took me a little bit to completely ‘hands off’ myself in some regards,” confessed Jeff, “But I just stepped back and mentored Kyrra. I showed her scripts and how I write for a comic book and then got her to take her story and turn it into that script idea.”

Kyrra ran with the creative exercise, and the pair collaborated on revisions, continually refining the narrative and the look of the story. Jeff had one of his collaborating artists provide the final sketches of Kyrra’s villainous creation on the way to becoming a full-fledged entry into Auroraman’s world. 

“She really had a knack for finding the flow and writing a fun story,” said Jeff. 

Kyrra looks forward to continuing the creative relationship with her Dad on Auroraman stories as the comic enters its fifth year of publication, cause for celebration in itself. The Burtons’ kickstarter campaign for the previous Auroraman issue was so successful that it provided the wherewithal to produce the ninth issue which contains Kyrra’s story. 

“It’s the fifth anniversary,” Jeff mused, “And it’s also the 80th anniversary of Canadian made comic books, so part and parcel, it's a good thing to be part of right now.”

Issue 9 will be launched once the kickstarter commitments are met, likely sometime in July. It will be widely available by the time Jeff and Kyrra make their appearance together to celebrate Free Comic Book Day in August. The annual celebration of comics has been pushed back due to the pandemic, but it will go with the Burtons making a special appearance at celebrated comic store Amazing Stories on 8th Street in Saskatoon. 

For Kyrra, the excitement of seeing her creation in print echoes with the thrill any author experiences with their first published work.

“It’s amazing,” Kyrra confides. “I thought, when writing it, it would be a few years before it got printed at all, so it was absolutely amazing to see a box full of stories that I wrote and to think about the process of Dad mentoring me.”

Whether Kyrra strikes out on her own in the creative world of comics in the years to come remains to be seen. For now, Auroraman shines with a new creative contributor and a close knit collaboration destined for a lifetime. 

To see the full interview with Calum McAnally, featuring Jeff and Kyrra Burton, follow the link to the 107.5 Bolt FM Blog.